Ep. 90: Chameleon Cold-Brew's Campbell: 'Humility Has Been Incredibly Helpful For Us'

Cold brew won't save the world. Just ask Chris Campbell. The co-founder and CEO of Chameleon Cold-Brew, Campbell is well aware of cold brew's vaunted status as one of the hottest trends in food and beverage. He's also extremely proud of Chameleon's commitment to quality, its devoted consumer base and its leadership position within the space, all of which were key elements to its recent acquisition by Nestlé. Yet, in a conversation included in this episode of Taste Radio, Campbell stressed that a healthy sense of humility has helped steer the ship and been critical to the company's success. "There's nothing being sold or developed here that is necessary for life," Campbell said. "We're all going to be fine without it. These are all things that are additive to our lives. [We keep] that in perspective: what we do is we sell coffee, deliver a little smile for the moment in the day. And that kind of humility has been incredibly helpful for us, and it's pervasive in our company." But, Chris, what about beer? Isn't beer necessary for human existence? Meg Gill might be up for that debate. She's the co-founder and president of Golden Road Brewing, who, like Campbell, sold her fast-growing beverage startup to a global conglomerate. Gill, a young and ambitious entrepreneur who in 2014 was recognized as part of Forbes' annual "30 Under 30" list, joined us for a conversation about the launch, development and eventual sale of her Los Angeles-based craft beer company to Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2015. Also included in this episode: the latest edition of Elevator Talk, which features Tribali Foods founder Angela Mavridis, who joined us for a chat about her upstart brand of organic and grass-fed meat patties. Show notes: 1:16: A Dirty, Zesty, Spirited Holiday -- The hosts riff on a sparkling partnership between Dirty Lemon Beverages and Vogue, how Zest Tea is taking on energy drinks with its new line of canned, "high-octane" teas, and Townshend's Tea Company's innovative take on distilled spirits. 6:24 Interview: Chris Campbell, Co-Founder/President/CEO, Chameleon Cold-Brew -- Just about a month after Nestle USA announced its acquisition of Chameleon Cold-Brew, we sat down with the co-founder and CEO of the insurgent coffee company, Chris Campbell. In an interview recorded at BevNET Live Winter 2017, Chris spoke with BevNET's Ray Latif and John Craven about Chameleon's launch in 2010 and how it established itself as a leader in the fast-growing cold-brew coffee segment. He also explained the role of innovation in the brand's development, why Austin has been hotbed for entrepreneurship in food and beverage in recent years and offers up his thoughts on new cold brew brands entering the fray. 34:50: Interview: Meg Gill, Co-Founder, Golden Road Brewing -- Like Chris Campbell, Meg Gill is familiar with selling an upstart beverage company to a global conglomerate. She's the co-founder of Golden Road Brewing, a Los Angeles-based craft beer company that launched in 2011 and was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev just four years later. In an interview with Brewbound editor Chris Furnari and BevNET CMO Mike Schneider, Gill spoke about the brand's rapid growth and path to acquisition. She also explained how Golden Road, which has become Anheuser-Busch's fastest growing craft brand, is competitive among other brands within A-B's portfolio, and plans to press on the gas in 2018. 1:00:50: Elevator Talk: Angela Mavridis, Founder/CEO, Tribali -- Tribali Foods, a maker of organic and grass-fed meat patties, was the winner of the Pitch Slam competition at NOSH Live Winter 2017. During the event, we caught up with the company's founder Angela Mavidris, who spoke about the origins of Tribali and how it differentiates itself from competing brands, in this edition of Elevator Talk. Brands in this episode: Dirty Lemon, Zest Tea, Townshend's Tea, Brew Dr. Kombucha, Chameleon Cold-Brew, GT's Kombucha, Golden Road Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewing, Tribali Foods